The Secrets of Savvy Nursing Home Shoppers

by ElderCarelink

Once you have made the decision to place your parent or loved one in a nursing home, it is time to find the right facility. We’ve all heard horror stories of uncaring staff and unclean rooms, but you can avoid making a mistake by following these insider tips.

First, compile a list of nursing homes in your loved one’s area. You can find local nursing homes at ElderCareLink.com

Next, you need to go to www.medicare.gov/nursinghomecompare to find the government quality ratings assigned to those homes.

Third, you need to create a short list of homes to tour.

While looking at the government site, here’s how to decipher the quality ratings.

Health inspection: This list contains about 180 individual sections, breaking down all major aspects of care in nursing homes. The Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services sends trained staff to every location to make objective reports of facilities, and the reports are checked at the federal level to ensure quality standards.

Staffing: In addition to the ratio of staff to residents, this rating takes into account the need for and number of trained nurses on staff. The CMS recommends asking about staff turnover and any qualifications the staff might have beyond nursing certifications.

Quality measures: This is an in-depth look at how well nursing homes perform on ten fairly common and very important aspects of senior care such as how the staff helps residents dress themselves and how they treat skin ulcers.

Using this three-step approach can help you find the best nursing home that will provide a caring and home-like atmosphere for your loved one. Get started now at ElderCarelink.com.